Commissioners vote to ban Flock cameras in Knox County as dozens speak out at meeting

Our Take

A unanimous vote. Zero public support for keeping the cameras. That's the story WATE 6 On Your Side captured from Monday night's Knox County Commission meeting, and it's about as clean a verdict as mass surveillance opponents ever get. When thirty-plus residents show up and not a single one defends a program, elected officials usually get the message — and in this case, they acted on it.

What makes Knox County notable isn't just the outcome, it's the process. Flock Safety's pitch to local governments usually moves fast and quiet: a demo, a vendor contract, cameras in the ground before most residents even know the vote happened. Knox County is a reminder that when communities actually get a public hearing and show up en masse, the political calculus changes. No commissioner wants to be the lone vote defending a surveillance network that nobody in the room asked for.

This is also a template other counties can borrow. Flock's national footprint keeps expanding by default — through inertia, bundled grants, and quiet renewals — not because of overwhelming demand. Knox County shows that an organized, vocal public can reverse that default. If there's a vote coming in your area, don't wait for the meeting to find out it's already decided. Check our camera map to see what's already deployed near you, and use our take-action resources to get in front of your own commission before the contract gets signed.